People v. Veronica Reyes. 22PDJ022. August 26, 2022.
The Presiding Disciplinary Judge approved the parties’ revised stipulation to discipline and suspended Veronica Reyes (attorney registration number 41963) for one year and one day. The suspension takes effect on September 30, 2022. To be reinstated to the practice of law in Colorado, Reyes must prove by clear and convincing evidence that she has been rehabilitated, has complied with all disciplinary orders and rules, and is fit to practice law.
In 2013, a collections firm filed a complaint against Reyes to recover $13,784.00 in unpaid rent, unpaid utilities, and missing and damaged property. The claims related to an office space Reyes had leased with another lawyer. Reyes did not answer, and the court entered default against her for all costs and damages. The collections firm then served on her interrogatories and requests for production. Reyes eventually provided sworn answers to this discovery, including the following false or incomplete interrogatory answers. Reyes represented that her home address was in Chihuahua, Mexico, when in fact she lived with her family in Westminster, Colorado. Reyes did not list her business address, home phone number, and business phone number, even though the interrogatory requested that information. Reyes stated that she was unemployed, even though she was employed as a lawyer. Reyes falsely responded that she had no sources of income. Reyes failed to report her operating and trust accounts when asked for information about all of her financial accounts, including accounts over which she had signature authority. Reyes answered “N/A” when asked whether she was self-employed, even though she operated her law practice with another lawyer and accepted client payments for legal services at the time. And Reyes answered “N/A” when asked for each bank account number related to her business, again failing to provide information about her operating and trust accounts.
In an unrelated matter, Reyes self-reported to disciplinary authorities that she had not filed federal or state tax returns during the years 2016 through 2020. Reyes did not file her tax returns for the tax years 2018 through 2020 because she hoped to avoid paying taxes. Reyes has now filed late personal and business tax returns for those years. Based on these returns, Reyes or her firm owes approximately $58,000.00 in taxes before penalties and interest.
Through this conduct, Reyes violated Colo. RPC 3.4(a) (a lawyer may not unlawfully obstruct another party’s access to evidence, or unlawfully alter, destroy, or conceal a document); Colo. RPC 8.4(b) (it is professional misconduct for a lawyer to commit a criminal act that reflects adversely on the lawyer’s honesty, trustworthiness, or fitness as a lawyer in other respects); and Colo. RPC 8.4(c) (it is professional misconduct for lawyer to engage in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation).
The case file is public per C.R.C.P. 242.41(a).